Without it, there is no story. What was Grace's conflict? Reader must understand this challenge and how she overcame the obstacle.
Understand the goal.
Figure out what stands in the way of meeting that goal.
Find an inciting incident. What does she decide to do to change the path and meet that plot goal.
What is the first turning point?
What are the obstacles? Obstacles block the path to achieving goals. They are also called plot points. Three types of obstacles:
ancestor vs. another person
ancestor vs. circumstance
ancestor vs. self
Conflict is the overall idea. Obstacle is the roadblock(s) that stands between meeting the goal.
What obstacles did Grace face in realizing her goal?
Times were changing in the early 1900s, and Iowa was not too shabby on the change chart, but still, women could not vote on a particular civic issue, even though the law said they could. Women were incensed, and tried to block the path of the issue. They finally hired a lawyer, Grace: a woman. A determined woman.
Obstacles: the local townspeople would not recognize the law, which pitted men against women. Even tho' the law was on the books, it was not recognized by the powers that be.
I don't know of the obstacles, but a little freewrite might enlighten me. Grace was older than most when she graduated. She was a long way from home, but had grown up in Iowa, moved to Maine, and moved back. He father, according to his biography, wrote long letters to his children who were away. He died in the early 1890's, so Grace and perhaps Winafred must had moved back to Iowa before his death. So, she and Winafred were single women, alone in a big city. Winafred worked, Grace went to school. I can't find them in the directory before 1898. Their uncle and aunt, James and Fanny Ballantyne, lived in Brooklyn, Iowa. Fanny died in 1902 and James in 1906, but they had obstacles and conflicts of their own. Later, their daughter Charlotte lived with them for a while. So, one conflict was living far from family, and having only each other. They were single and needed to make a living. It would appear that Winafred did the work whilst Grace went to school.
It was a man's world, although inroads were being made. Iowa was more liberal in its ideas about racism and women's rights. Drake University, where Grace earned her law degree, was founded on the acceptance of people of any race, religion or sex. So, that was good. Her classmates, whom I can only find to the letter M, seemed to be all male, although one was named Winny so could be either. But, for the most part, they were male. Did this create issues?
I feel that the daughters of the Ballantynes (James and Fanny; Robert and Louisa), must have been strong women. They made their own way in the world and were independant, although they stuck together for quite some time. Did this make them socially unacceptable at the time?
I have no idea what they looked like, and if that was a drawback.
Anyway, Grace represented the women of DesMoines and lost the case. She took it to the Supreme Court and won her case. That is the only case I can find. It was written up in newspapers across the country.
Her first law career was a partnership with another lady lawyer, but that did not last too long. Soon she was independent, but perhaps worked in a law office. That I can't figure out from the directories. Eventually, when she was older and moved to Idaho Falls, she managed an office.
Why?
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